mufti

American  

[muhf-tee] / ˈmʌf ti /

noun

plural

muftis

1. civilian clothes, in contrast with military or other uniforms, or as worn by a person who usually wears a uniform.

2. a Muslim jurist expert in the religious law.

3. (in the Ottoman Empire) a deputy of the chief Muslim legal adviser to the Sultan.

4. (initial capital letter) Grand Mufti.

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mufti ¹ British  

/ ˈmʌftɪ /

noun

1. a Muslim legal expert and adviser on the law of the Koran

2. (in the former Ottoman empire) the leader of the religious community

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mufti ² British  

/ ˈmʌftɪ /

noun

1. civilian dress, esp as worn by a person who normally wears a military uniform

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Etymology

Origin of mufti

First recorded in 1580–90, mufti is from the Arabic word muftī literally, “a person who delivers a judgment,” originally a Muslim legal adviser; sense of mufti def. 1 arises from the legal adviser being a civil official

Example Sentences

That unease perhaps began with Al-Husseini, the World War II-era grand mufti of Jerusalem and Palestinian Arab nationalist, an enthusiastic Nazi supporter who helped recruit Bosnian Muslims to their side, and whose antisemitism was well-documented.

From Seattle Times • Sep. 13, 2023

On Wednesday he met with Tunisia's chief rabbi, chief Christian archbishop and Muslim mufti, saying that receiving clerics sent a "historical message" of coexistence and tolerance.

From Reuters • May 17, 2023

When Italian bombers attacked Haifa and Tel Aviv, the former grand mufti of Jerusalem sent his congratulations to Mussolini.

From Washington Post • Feb. 10, 2021

They talked to the camera, in mufti, in their homes.

From New York Times • Jun. 18, 2020

As my father debated with the mufti, one of the elders spoke up.

From "Malala: The Girl Who Stood Up for Education and Changed the World" by Malala Yousafzai